Is a 7 month 1 week test conclusive?

Dec 26, 2001

Dear Ryan,

I recently went for a 7 months 1 week HIV test from the last possible exposure (insertive vaginal sex with condom with prostitute) and the result reads HIV 1 & 2 AB (BY ELISA)- nonreactive. Is this mean I am not infected for HIV 1,2 what strains? Whether it is necessary to test further? Do I need to test for HCV & HLTV? Is it necessary?

Also last time when I went for a number of times from 28 days to this in another anonymous test centre they used to take blood by fingerstick device (one time disposable). But they avoid the pippetting and directly collect the blood from injury to the collection pad on the test strip. Sometime the injury touches the test strip pad. Will this cause HIV infection? from the test strip pad(Abbott determine Rapid test). Is there any live virus on the new test pad (just the seal opened)? Please answer..
Thanks

Response from Mr. Kull

Your result was HIV negative, which means that you are not infected with either HIV-1 or HIV-2. Getting tested 7 months after exposure is more than enough time to wait for accurate testing. Unless you have shared injection needles or received a blood or blood-products, there is probably no need for you to be screened for hepatitis C virus (it is unlikely that you would be infected with HCV through sexual contact).

You will not get infected with HIV when getting tested for HIV. Precautions are taken to protect you from exposure to infections. There is no evidence that people get infected this way.

This forum is designed for educational purposes only, and experts are not rendering medical, mental health, legal or other professional advice or services. If you have or suspect you may have a medical, mental health, legal or other problem that requires advice, consult your own caregiver, attorney or other qualified professional.

Experts appearing on this page are independent and are solely responsible for editing and fact-checking their material. Neither TheBody.com nor any advertiser is the publisher or speaker of posted visitors' questions or the experts' material.

The Body is a service of Remedy Health Media, LLC, 750 3rd Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10017. The Body and its logos are trademarks of Remedy Health Media, LLC, and its subsidiaries, which owns the copyright of The Body's homepage, topic pages, page designs and HTML code. General Disclaimer: The Body is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. The information provided through The Body should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, consult your health care provider.